Will Social Security Project Set Off New Scares?

The Social Security Administration is launching a project to electronically collect health data pertinent to people applying for disability benefits. From a political standpoint, isn't this bad timing considering Obama's contentious healthcare reform push? My gut tells me conspiracy-mongers will spin this Social Security plan as another alleged example of Big Brother attempting to ration healthcare and dig into people's personal medical information.For one thing, when people apply for disability benefits, Social Security's goal is for those who are eligible for the benefits--based on whatever the agency's medical and other criteria are--to get approved in a timely way. You'd assume that's the goal of applicants, too.

Since the economy has turned sour, the number of people seeking Social Security disability benefits has spiked. Social Security says it expects to receive about 3.3 million disability applications in fiscal 2010 as a result of the current recession, up 27% since fiscal 2008.

I suppose it's possible that the economy's woes are exacerbating health challenges that some people would otherwise work through in a more robust economy. I also suppose some people who have medical issues and have lost jobs or are afraid of losing jobs during this recession are hoping disability benefits can help them weather difficult and perhaps painful situations.

But whatever the case may be, the Social Security Administration should be commended for trying to use technology such as electronic clinical data transmission (with authorization by patients) and business analysis tools to help handle this extra load now, and moving forward, improving benefit application processes so that they are faster and fairer. Some people might say it's about time. Still, with all the heated arguments going on in D.C. and at town halls across the U.S. about healthcare reform legislation and the "real" motives behind President Obama's proposals (including the preposterous supposed "death panels,") I think the timing of Social Security's announced plan to revamp its disability approval processes using health IT is unfortunate.

It's only a matter of time before the motives behind Social Security's plans get twisted into something allegedly sinister, too.

What do you think?